|
Alexandria's Jewellery Museum |
The
Jewellery Museum is a two-story villa which belonged to Princess
Fatma Al-Zahraa - a member of the Egyptian Royal family, which
she decorated to her taste in 1920. The foyer is a grandiose
affair with burgundy soft, deep carpets and carved, gilded
ceilings. From here, a short flight of marble steps lead to the
first floor.
Portraits of all the royal descendants of the Mohamed Ali
Dynasty (with a brief description) decorate the walls. Very
little information is known about the life and history of
Princess Fatma with the exception of her evident extraordinary
taste in interior decoration.
The
rooms of the two floors are filled to the brim with display
boxes showcasing every kind of imaginable item of status, luxury
and wealth. The most important pieces in the collection are the
royal crowns and tiaras. The platinum tiara and a pair of
matching earrings stand out from the rest. The tiara, which
belonged to the wife of King Fouad was set with 2,159 first
grade diamonds and priceless white pearls.
Also
not to be missed is the private toilet set of King Farouq. The
set comprises huge crystal bottles capped with heavy lids of
pure gold and embossed with the royal coat of arms gracefully
perching on a tray of gold.
Strangely enough, instead of being dazzled by the sheer amount
and mastery of craftsmanship of the jewellery found in the
villa, the interior decoration is more striking. Unlike most of
the private residences of the royal family in Egypt, which are
usually dominated by the Islamic taste in architecture and
decoration, this villa is totally influenced by European styles.
The
ceilings of every room were hand-painted by Egyptian, Italian
and French artists. Some ceilings depict stories from Greek
mythology, while most of the second floor ceilings depict parts
of famous French and Italian love stories, painted in vivid
colours. The walls of the villa are either paneled with oak or
chestnut wood, or painted with huge tableaus of French medieval
tales.
Even
the bathrooms on both floors are true works of art. The
corridors and bathrooms are all lined with small white pieces of
porcelain made by the French prestigious porcelain house of
Sevres. The walls of the spacious two bathrooms are hand painted
with swimming nymphs, images from the well-known Fables of La
Fontaine, and fairytales all painted on white backgrounds with
bright colors
The
highlight of the villa however, are the wondrous stained glass
panels found in the main hall of the first floor, in the
stairwell, and in the first floor bathroom. The most famous
French artists of the time were commissioned to create these
masterpieces, which recount the tales of famous European love
stories. Unfortunately, the villa had been stripped from all the
personal belongings and furniture of its former owner. It would
have been very interesting to see how the Princess furnished
such a villa. The garden is not vast but tastefully kept. The
small well-stocked souvenir shop sells cards, books on the
different eras of Egyptian history, and brightly colored gift
items at reasonable prices.
The
Jewellery Museum is open daily from 9am to 4 pm except on
Fridays when it opens from 10am to 11.30am and from 1.30pm to
4pm.
|
